Cigar-lighter and advertising device.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. G. E; BESSEL &: G. D. MEEKER. CIGAR LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPDIGATION FILED AUG. 22. 1905. RENEWED OUT. 3, 1906.

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VENTOR S WITNESSES fidflv Iowan/ab ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS 50., wasmmnazv, n. c.

PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

G. B. BESSEL & G. D. MEEKER.

GIGAR LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING DEVICE-S Arruonlox FILED 116.22, 1005. Bmwwnn now. 3.19%.

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INVENTORS I M v M w/ WM K ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca., wAsl-nmrrau, n. (:4

No 866,566. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907;

G. E. BESSEL & G. D. MEEKER. I CIGAR LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING DEVICE.

APPLIO-ATIOH FILED AUG. 22. 1905. RENEWED OOT. 3, 1906.

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No. 866,566. PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. G. E. BBSSEL 6: G. -D. MEEKER.

CIGAR LIGHTER AND'ADVERTISING DEV'IGE.

APPLICATION FILED mmzz, 1905, nmwnwnn 001'. a. 1906.

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v BY

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT FFIOE.

CHARLES E. BESSEL, OF JERSEY CITY, AND CLIFFORD D. MEEKER, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

CIGAR-LIGHTER AND ADVERTISING DE VICE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed August 22, 1905, Serial No. 275,218. Renewed October 3,1906. Serial No. 337,275.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. BESSEL and CLIF- FORD D. MEEKER, citizens of the United States, residing at, respectively, Jersey City, Hudson county, and East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New .1 ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Lighters and Advertising Devices; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide an advertising medium or device which will utilize the movements involved in lifting a cigar lighter from its supporting device for the purpose of lighting a cigar and returning said lighter to its said support, to raise an advertising card into view; to provide a device which is simple in construction and automatic in operation, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved advertising medium or device, and in the arrangements and combi nations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan of our improved device; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section and showing said device in elevation with the front board removed Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of a certain segmental rack; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing in side elevation the interior mechanism, the section being taken on line a", Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken at line y, of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken on line 2, of Fig. 6.

In said drawings, 8 indicates a box or casing within which the operating devices are arranged and have their bearings, the top of said case being provided with a series of parallel slots 9, 9, 9, shown in plan in Fig. 1, within -which slots are arranged a series of advertising plates 1.0, which slide up and down as indicated in Figs. 3 and 6, to expose a business card or imprint or other advertising matter to view, when said plate is lifted by means hereinafter described. Also through said case is formed another slot 11, Fig. 3, from which the lever-like lighter support 12, extends from its fulcrum 13, within said box to a position outside of said box convenient to receive the lighter 14, it being understood that the said box is of a size convenient to stand or rest firmly upon the counter or show case within a cigar store and permit the lifting of the cards within said box or case 8. When the supporting lever is oper- J ated by removing the lighter from time to time, the

said cards are successively presented to view so that the advertising matter thereon may be seen by the individual as he lights his cigar. A series of such advertising cards is provided as indicated and on the removal of the lighter from its support, the series of cards will be automatically and successively lifted into view.

Upon placing the lighter 14, upon the lever-like support 12, the weight of said lighter causes the same to drop to the position shown in Fig. 3. This operation causes said lever 12, to raise a weighty segmental rack 15, fulcrumed on the shaft 13, at one side of the lever 12, to its elevated position, this being accomplished by means of a pin 16, projecting laterally from said lever 12, into a segmental slot 17 curved concentrio with the fulcrumal shaft 13, and formed at the small end of the segmental rack as shown in Fig. 4, said slot receiving the said projecting pin 16, the latter engaging the end wall of the slot at the beginning of its downward movement with the lever 12, and as the downward movement of the lever 12 progresses, the rack 15, rises and the heavy toothed end 18, of the segment imparts motion to a pinion 19, near the bottom of the box or case. The rotary motion imparted to the pinion 19, which is loose upon a tripping shaft 20, .is transmitted to said shaft through a pawl 21, and ratchet wheel 22, fixed to said shaft and causes the said shaft to make a single revolution, more or less. A

spring 23, tends to hold the free end of the pawl 21, against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22, to effect a forward movement of said ratchet wheel with the shaft 20, in one direction but on the return movement of the segmental rack and pinion, a free sliding of the pawl over said teeth. Thus the shaft 20, has a movement in one direction only. Said shaft 20, extends from the front to the rear of the box or case 8, and is provided with a series of pins or projections 24, so disposed on the rod, preferably in spiral order, as to successively, as the shaft 20, turns, engage the plate releasing means hereinafter described and thus enable springs or other motors to raise the plates 10, one after another to enable the person standing in front of the device to read the cards. With these ends in view, we have arranged at the bottom of the case, contiguous to each of the series of projections 24, on the shaft 20, a suitable bracket or stud 25, on which is placed a spring actuated catch 26, which is preferably in the form of a bell crank lever, one arm of which is engaged by a spring 28 to press the other, catching arm 29 into ongagement with a depending arm 30, connecting with the plate 10. One of such arms 30, is attached to each plate 10, and at the lower extremity of each of said arms, the same is bent or turned laterally as at 31, the lateral extension being preferably perforated to receive a stay wire 32, fastened at opposite ends to the top and bottom of the box or case 8. Said stay wire or rod serves as a slideway to hold the lower end of said arm in place as it rises and falls with the plate 10. \Vhen the plate 10, drops to its lower position by its own weight or otherwise, the lateral extension 31, engages the catch arm 29, and is caught thereby and held until released as will be more fully described. When the plates 10, are released by the tripping of the catch levers 26,

' said plates are raised by means of arms 33, 33 pivoted at 34, upon brackets or bearings 35, at opposite sides of the box, and extending downward and inward toward the centers and lower parts of the plates. Said plates are each slotted horizontally as at 36, and said arms 33, are bent to enter said slots, so that when said arms at their lower ends are raised, said plates 10, will rise with them. Said arms are actuated by springs 37, coiled about the tops or shafts 13, 38, arranged horizontally upon brackets or bearings 39, at the opposite sides near the top of the box. Said springs 37, connect with the arms 33, and when said springs are under tension they tend to lift said arms and the plates 10, therewith. Said springs are brought under tension by the down movement of the weighty lighter 14, the gravity action of which serves to wind said springs as will be described. Said shafts 13, and 38, are provided with arms 40, which are joined by a pivoted connecting rod 41, by means of which said shafts operate simultaneously.

The shafts 13, 38, are free to rotate in their bearings and near where one of said shafts serves as a fulcrum for the lighter support 12, it is provided with a fixed ratchet wheel 43. This said wheel is engaged by a pawl 44, pivoted upon the short arm 45, of the leverlike support 12, the free end of the pawl being held in engagement with the ratchet wheel by a spring 46. Upon lowering the lighter arm 12, from its position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, by placing the lighter thereon, or by pressure of the hand, the pawl 44, turns the ratchet wheel 43, and with it the shaft 13, thus winding the springs 37, one end of each of which is fastened securely to either said shaft 13, or the shaft 38, working therewith because of the connection. The wound springs provide the motive power by which the released plates are raised. On removing the lighter from its supporting arm the weighty segment not only operates the tripping device and raises the lighter support, but also, near the end of its gravity movement, causes the pawls 44, and 50, to be thrown out of engagement with the ratchet 43, on the shaft 13, thus enabling said shaft to turn in its bearings and the plates 10, to gravitate together to points of concealment within the box. The pawl 50, is secured to the inside of the box 8, and projects to a point near the ratchet wheel 43, and at its projecting end, it is adapted to engage the said ratchet wheel. Said pawl extends beyond the point of engagement with the ratchet wheel to receive a short eccentric arm 45, of the lighter carrier, as hereinafter described, so that, on the removal of the lighter, the said arm 45, near the end of its movement, will engage the pawl 50, and throw it from ongagement with the ratchet wheel. To this end, a

bearing surface 53, of the small arm 45, of the leverlike lighter support, engages with the spring pawl 50, to release the latter from the ratchet wheel 43, while the bearing projection 54, engages the free end of the pivoted pawl 44 to release it from the said ratchet wheel. Thus the ratchet wheel and the shaft with which it is in fixed connection are free to turn and permit a relaxation of the springs thereon and a consequent falling of the advertisement plates 10.

Back action of the ratchet wheel 43, and shaft 13, is prevented by the spring pawl 50. 'Back action of the shaft 20, is also prevented by a pawl 51, and spring 52, acting on the ratchet wheel 59, fastened to said shaft, 20.

The gravitating movement of the weighty segment t15, is controlled by a dash pot 55, and piston 56, the

latter being pivoted to the segment at 57, and'the former to a bracket or support 58, fastened to the inner wall of the box 8. By this arrangement the down movement of the segment is made slow and regular so that there will be quite an interval of time between the trippings of the plates, thereby giving an opportunity for the operator to read the advertisement on each plate after it springs up into view and before it is covered by the next plate in the series.

The lighter 14, is preferably an electric lighter in connection with wires 60, of an electric circuit. The terminals 61, 62, of the circuit are closed immediately at the beginning of the down movement of the segment in any suitable manner. The terminals 62 are normally open and are in the circuit with the wire 60', and the terminal 61, when it slips in between the terminals 62, completes the circuit between them.

The peculiar construction of the lighter is or may be the subject of another invention and specific description is thought to be unnecessary here.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. The improved advertising medium or device, comprising a box containing a series of advertising cards or plates, means for'holding the same at their lower position concealed in said box, means for raising said plates when released from said holding means, and means for successively releasing said plates and permitting them to rise one after the other into view, substantially as set forth.

2. The improved advertising medium or device, comprising a box containing a series of advertising cards or plates, means for holding the same at their lower position concealed in said box, means for raising said plates when released from said holding means, and means for successively releasing said plates and permitting them to rise one after the other into view, the last said means including a lighter supporting lever extending out from the box to receive a lighter, and means for elevating said lighter support at its outer end upon the removal of the lighter.

3. The improved advertising medium herein described, comprising a box having a slotted top, a series of vertieally disposed plates, working in the slots of the top, motive means for raising said plates when released, means for holding said plates down within said box, a lighter support, a tripping device controlled by said support and adapted to release the plates one after another from their said holding means, substantially as set forth.

4. The improved advertising medium herein described, comprising, a box having a slotted top, a series of vertically disposed plates, working in said slots, motive means for raising said plates when released, means for holding said plates down within said box, a lighter support, and a tripping device controlled by said support and'embracing a shaft having a series of projecting arms projecting from the periphery of said shaft into engagement with the holding means of said plates and adapted to release the plates one after another from their said holding means, substantially as set forth.

5. The improved advertising medium herein described, comprising a box having a slotted top, a series of vertically disposed plates, working in said slots, motive means for raising said plates when released, said motive means comprising arms pivoted upon said box and engaging the plates near the bottoms thereof, and springs for raising said arms and said plates, means for holding said plates down within said box, a lighter support, and a tripping device controlled by said support and adapted to release the plates one after another from their said holding means, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved cigar lighter and advertising device in which is combined with a series of plates held normally out of advertisement-display position, motors for moving said plates into displaying position when released, means for holding said plates out of displaying relation or posi tion, a tripping device for successively releasing said plates, a rack and pinion for operating the tripping means and a lighter support and connections adapted to operate said rack and pinion and effect a tripping operation, substantially as set forth.

7. The improved cigar lighter and advertising device, in which is combined with a series of plates held normally out of advertisement-display position, motors for moving said plates into displaying position when released, means for holding said plates out of displaying relation or position, a tripping device for successively releasing said plates, a rack and pinion for operating the tripping means, a dash pot and piston in connection with said rack, for retarding the movements of said rack, and a lighter support and connections adapted to operate said rack and pinion and effect a tripping operation, substantially as set forth.

8. The improved cigar lighter and advertisement displaying device, in which is combined with a series of plates, motors for raising said plates into view, holding means for holding said plates concealed or in non-displaying position or relation, tripping means for successively releasing said plates from their holding means, a weighty rack and pinion, the latter being in connection with the tripping means, and a lighter support and connections adapted to elevate the said weighty rack when said sup port is depressed by the lighter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing, We have hereunto set our hands this 15th day of August 1905.

CHARLES E. BESSEL. CLIFFORD D. MEEKER. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. DELL, M. V. DOYLE. 

